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Exercise Speech ‘Scare’ (Fear) Away!

HOW a public speaker manages and hides Speech Anxiety
symptoms during a public presentation is the topic of my 7-part
C.O.N.C.E.A.L. series. We are on part 5
using the acronym C.O.N.C.E.A.L. = E for exercise!

Preparing
good speech content and practicing will not reduce the physical nervous sensations (called “speech
fear or speech anxiety”) because most of the anxiety is physically felt.

Let’s understand your physical symptoms. The sensations of fear are caused by the
“Flight-FightSyndrome”, or the parasympathetic nervous system response to fear
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12745792). When the prospect of doing a
public speech triggers this response, adrenaline is poured into the body,
providing the energy to run or fight back.
Of course with speech fear you are not able to use this excessive energy
your body is providing. The result is overwhelming adrenalin-fueled physical
reactions which we are studying how to manage.

What are these physical reactions? Most people shake or quake under the
adrenaline rush. Others experience uncomfortable tummy aches often called “butterflies”.
Some people feel lightheaded. You cannot
prevent or control these feelings simply by preparing the public speaking
content.

How does exercise help? The body’s full-capacity to respond to
the adrenaline rush needs reduced. If
you approach the stage performance with your body at full-capacity you
will have trouble managing it. You will
feel and potential look nervous since the symptoms are at full-throttle. The goal of pre-speech exercise is reducing
your body’s capacity to respond fully to that adrenaline rush. Exercise
fatigues your body’s response and creates a more manageable situation.

Even
after 35 years of professional speaking experience, I still exercise to gain
control over anxiety symptoms. Every
time I have a major presentation, I exercise 2 days prior and then again the
morning of the event. I work my biceps,
quads and abs to help control and conceal shaking during the speech. It helps
me feel in-control of the symptoms and able to conceal them from the
audience.

Specific exercise suggestions.

How much exercise do
you need? That depends on how much you
already exercise. You want to exercise
so you feel it, but not so much that you hurt.
In other words, fatigue your muscles but don’t exhaust them.

When do you do
this exercise? I recommend you exercise 1-2 days prior to your speaking
engagement. The results of that exercise
are felt 1-2 days later when lactic
acid and muscle recovery occurs.

The areas to focus exercise are the arms
(biceps), upper legs (quads), and abs.
These are the most obvious recipients of adrenalin, often shaking these
body parts when the Flight-Fight Syndrome
kicks-in.

Finally I recommend you lightly exercise one
more time the morning of the event. Endorphins can provide a feel-good,
relaxing sensation. According to a
psychologist friend “endorphin release that takes place during the workout,
which induces a sense of pleasure/well-being in the system. This feeling
is incompatible with stressful, negative emotions and thus, the anxiety is
reduce stress”.

Exercise
doesn’t have to involve the gym. It can include:

Dance

Walking

Running

Swim

Play w/kids

Walk beach/mall

Cleaning

Reorganize something

Take a class

Yoga

Massage

Walk pets

In
conclusion, to appear more confident and calm, exercise will reduce your body’s
capacity so you do not respond fully to the adrenalin rush from the Flight-Fight Syndrome. This exercise is best if it takes place a
day or 2 days prior to the speaking engagement. When you exercise you
should feel less inclination to shake and have more control of your body and
symptoms, allowing you to continue public speaking with less issues.

I invite you to comment.
Are there particular exercise suggestion that readers use to control
physical speech-fear issues?